Woman arrested, suspected of killing roommate, dismembering body

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU/BCN) - A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murdering her roommate, dismembering her body and keeping it inside their San Francisco, Mission-District apartment for two weeks.

The arrest followed an investigation and evidence obtained at the home on Saturday in the 200 block of 14th Street near South Van Ness Avenue, police said on Tuesday.

Police said based on the investigation and evidence, officers arrested 47-year-old Lisa Gonzalez on suspicion of murder. The victim was apparently renting a room from the suspect. Gonzalez was booked into the county jail.

"This is a very concerning case for us.We take it very seriously, we are very disturbed with the allegations," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said.

Court documents show Gonzalez offered to rent a room in the apartment to a 61-year-old woman last August for $400 a month.

"It appears that this was a roommate relationship, not necessarily an intimate relationship. It was just simply renting of a room," Gascon said.

Court documents go on to say that items around the home started to get misplaced or broken. Gonzalez then told the 61-year-old woman, who has not been identified, she needed to move out by mid-May or face an eviction.

Another person who lived in the home told investigators that on May 16, she came home and heard what sounded like sawing and a smell of rotten eggs coming from the bathroom. They later found some kind of hacksaw under the sink.

Police were later notified and on June 1, officers came to the home and found the 61-year-old woman's dismembered body rotting inside a plastic bag in a storage unit in the home. Officers arrested Gonzalez the next day.

During the investigation, officers learned that the 61-year-old woman was reported missing by a friend on May 15.

After her arrest, Gonzalez told investigators that was the day the two got into a verbal argument after the 61-year-old said she was not moving out.

Gonzalez told investigators she thinks she flipped out, but didn't have a real recognition of what happened.

In court, Gonzalez didn't show up. The judge says she's being held on observation.

"I don't know specifically what's going on with her. So I don't know if she's in psych observation or something different. I don't know yet," said her newly appointed public defender, Alex Lilien.

Gonzalez is being held without bail. She is expected to make her first court appearance on Friday.

Police said the investigation is still open and anyone with information about it is asked to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444.

Tips can also be sent by text to TIP411 with SFPD at the beginning of the message.